Mulberry Magic from Mysore

Silk … The very name of the luxurious fabric renowned for its elegance reminds us of an elegant look and the wondrous feel that one gets to experience when felt against the skin. All renowned for the exquisite quality and the graceful look that it promises to provide, apparels made out of this lovely fabric are something every woman on earth desires to own. And In India, which happens to be the world’s second largest consumer of the fabric after China, Silk sarees (saris) (affiliate link) are attires that richly adorn every woman’s wardrobe.

Kancheevaram, Banarasi, Bandhni, Tanchoi, Assami, Paithani – the Indian subcontinent offers an immense variety of sarees, each one of them known for a distinctive style of weave and design. Among the variety of Indian silk sarees, ‘Mysore Silk’ from the cultural capital of Karnataka holds a pride of place. Mysore Silk sarees are made of a specific variety of silk that happens to be one of world’s finest silk fabrics. The drapes are woven out of power-looms which ensure the enchanting Mysore silk sarees always lustrous, teeming with a wondrous sheen and feel that is extremely comfortable against the skin.

Available in myriad beautiful and vibrant hues, unlike most other Indian sarees that are mostly hand woven, Mysore Silk is actually twinned in machines out of pure silk yarns that that happen to be one of the best silks produced in the world today .

Owning a Mysore Silk Saree is a tradition!

Such is the beauty and exquisiteness of Mysore Silk that in Karnataka and neighbouring states, owning a it is customary for every south Indian woman. She tends to feel her wardrobe is incomplete without one of this vibrant six yards of magic! I remember growing up watching my mother, grandmother and aunts gracefully wrap themselves up in the lovely Mysore silk on almost every special occasion.

In Mysore, we can say, it is a kind of tradition for every woman to own a Mysore silk saree. Although quite expensive in comparison to other silk saree varieties, every girl will ensure she’ll purchase one, at least during the time of her wedding. Reason: All for the softness, elegance and comfort it offers. Though simple and seldom available with extensive prints, they gracefully standout when kept aside all other silk varieties with just a simple ‘pure gold’ zari, thus becoming extremely exclusive. Guess it’s probably because of all these special qualities, most women both young and the elderly in Karnataka and especially Mysore can be found encapsulated in these vibrant Mysore Silk sarees during all the wedding and festivities.

Modern women are shunning silk sarees since their heavy drapery restricts flexibility in their daily professional lives. Today, most women find silk sarees to be extremely thick, heavy, and difficult to carry off. They would rather prefer wearing costumes such as ghaghras and salwars over sarees even at special occasions such as weddings. However, once a girl sees a Mysore Silk saree, she is surely be pleasantly surprised, thanks to the lightness, minimalistic design, comfort and also the elegance it promises to offer!

Evidently, Mysore Silk retains its popularity among younger women too! And our elders indeed knew it best! So next time, in case you find someone in a Kannadiga wedding wearing a sober looking plain saree, do go and ask if it’s Mysore Silk. Ask if you can feel it. And if it is the same bewitching drape, you’ll surely say, “Yes, it indeed is a few yards of magic”, the minute you feel it.

Ambika Nagaraj is a 'typical Mysorean' residing in Bangalore. Born and brought up in the beautiful city of Mysore, she has been working in the Garden City since two years now. She took to writing since 2004 when she joined the University of Mysore as a Master’s student of Journalism, and has continued to do for a living ever since. In her five years of experience in journalism, Ambika has reported, written, managed, co-edited and also supervised layout designs for the companies that she has worked with. She is quite jovial person to work with. She does not consider writing as a 'job' since it's her passion. She always come up with an enthusiastic 'Yes!' filled with excitement, every time someone asks her to write something!